People pleasers, shy humans, and those of us lacking in self-esteem can find themselves targets to others
with agendas of all kinds, financial, political and even religious. Often we do not find this out about ourselves until it is too late. Sometimes out of a genuine curiosity we get drawn in by plausible understandings outside of our comfort zone. Insidiously we can find ourselves making idols of the ideology, cause or belief system, handing over our free will in the process.
How can you tell if you are living an opaque life? Ask yourselves these questions:
Do my beliefs (on any subject) come from myself?
Am I a puppet for someone, something, or an institution’s beliefs?
Did I join a cause?
Do I really believe my beliefs?
Am I free to change my beliefs without retribution from anyone or anything else?
Am I living an authentic life based on my own thoughts and desires?
Do I believe there is only one way to live financially “responsible?”
Am I at the mercy of the “group think tank” politically?
Do I practice my own religion, as best I understand it?
Have I handed by personal decisions over to a religious authority to make for me?
Do I obey another living person, or group of people, when it comes to my religious practice?
Do I realize that a church, group of elders, priest, rabbi or guru will not be answerable to God for my own decisions I make in my life?
Do I realize that following others in any matter is not an umbrella of personal decision safety?
Have I made an idol out of institutionalized religion, politics or finances?
We will know we are in control of our own personal decisions, not giving our life away to any other group or person, living life in full color, rather than a usurped, opaque life when we reach spiritual, financial and political maturity, and can stand on our own two feet God gave us.